Silent Kingdom
by Kutlessrocker
Summary: Sora, Riku, Kairi, Roxas, Namine, Vanitas, and Xion decide to visit Silent Hill, West Virginia. Can they escape with their lives? M for future chapters.
1. Kingdom of Silence

Author's Note: I've been doing a lot of updating lately, haven't I? lol Here's my newest multi-chapter story. PoV switches each chapter, but I'll let you know who is narrating at the beginning of each chapter. This is my Kingdom Hearts/Silent Hill crossover. Credit to xXUr-RawR-BuddyXx for the name XD. She and I were discussing what to call it, and she suggested it. Enjoy, friends...

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><p><em><strong>Sora's<strong> **PoV:**_

"Ugh, are we there yet?" Roxas sighed in a mix of frustration and boredom. Roxas, Namine, Riku, Kairi, and I were piled into my black Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV on our way to a supposedly haunted ghost town, Silent Hill, West Virginia.

"No," Kairi said as she looked back at him. It was her turn to drive and I sat in the passenger's seat while Riku sat behind me, Roxas sat behind Kairi, and Namine was squashed in-between Riku and Roxas. "The GPS says we're almost there, so don't worry. Besides, we still have to check into our hotel in the next town. This town is abandoned, so we can't stay there, now can we?"

"You'll survive another fifteen minutes, Roxas," I said. "Besides, I know you just wanna get away from all of us so you and Namine can…"

"Shut up!" he said, cutting off what I was about to say. Roxas blushed deep red like a tomato and crossed his arms. We could talk like that to each other without taking it personally, being cousins.

"I'm a little scared," Namine said. My little, blond friend had a look of uncertainty on her face. I looked at her through the rearview mirror. "What if all the horrible stories about this place are true? I mean, I don't want to get into something that might make us disappear! What if we die?"

"Nothing's going to happen to us, Nami," Riku said, chill as always. "This town was abandoned because the coal mines caught fire, not because of a little ghost girl or a big guy with a 9-foot-long kitchen knife. We'll be fine."

"I hope you're right, Riku," she said with a shaky voice. She curled up around Roxas and buried her nose in his arm. He took his fingers through her platinum blond hair lovingly. Namine relaxed a little as Roxas wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, her head resting on his slightly muscular chest. Roxas and I had always been scrawny, no matter how much we'd work out with Riku, Terra, Xemnas, and Vanitas. It just didn't work for us. We were as strong as anyone who worked out, but we didn't seem to gain much muscle mass.

"Hey, I'm going to call Xion and Vanitas to see if they've caught up with us," I said. Vanitas was my twin brother and Xion was Namine's sister. They'd been together as long as Kairi and I had been. It was uncanny how much Kairi and Xion looked alike, only being cousins and not sisters. At least Vanitas and I were blood related. Kairi was only related to Xion and Namine by marriage. They looked even more alike when Kairi's hair was short. She grew it out two years ago at age sixteen because she thought she looked older like that. I thought she was stunningly beautiful either way. Xion expressed a desire to grow her hair out as well.

I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket and dialed my brother's number. He and Xion had come in a separate car because there was no room in mine. They were driving Xion's silver Volkswagen Jetta and had gotten separated from us when a tree fell in front of them and behind us. It was a thousand wonders how it didn't hit them when it collapsed. In that small car, it probably would have killed both of them. I offered to stop and help them, but Vanitas insisted he could move it himself. Last I'd checked, a road crew was clearing it and they were starting on their way toward us. That had been an hour ago.

The phone rang a couple of times before Xion answered Vanitas' phone. "Hello," she said sweetly in a voice that was all too similar to Kairi's.

"Hey, it's Sora. Have you two gotten anywhere near us yet?" I asked.

"Depends, where are you guys?" she asked.

"We're about ten minutes away from the town outside Silent Hill. Where are you?"

"I don't know," she said. "Our GPS died suddenly and I can't get it to charge up. I thought it was my power outlet, but the phone charges perfectly. I think the GPS is just messed up. And…there's a lot of fog around us. Wait, I see a sign. It says, 'Silent Hill Next Right.' No, that can't be right," she said in shock and a little bit of fear. "We were behind you guys, but now we're here? This is impossible! Vanitas, look out!" she screamed and I heard a loud bang before the phone died.

"Xion…Xion!" I yelled into the phone.

"What happened, Sora?" Kairi asked.

I just sat there in shock. "I…I think they just had an accident," I said, rattled to the core. I knew panic was right around the corner for me. "They were in a thick fog and saw a sign that said they were in Silent Hill. Then I heard Xion yell and a loud bang then the phone died. Kairi, drive faster!"

My red-head girlfriend nodded and slammed the gas pedal down, accelerating at a steady, but swift pace. I dialed 911 in my phone to report the possible accident. "Hello," the operator said.

"Please, I need an ambulance. My brother and his girlfriend…they may have been in an accident," I said in a panic.

"Calm down, sir. Do you know for sure? How do you know?" she asked.

"I was talking on the phone with his girlfriend. They were coming with me and four of our other friends to Silent Hill and they were in another car. She said they were entering Silent Hill right when I heard her scream and a loud crash before the phone died. Please, you have to get there fast!" I said in one breath.

The operator became silent for a second. "If you try to prank us one more time, then I'll have to report you," she said. "Everyone knows you can't get into Silent Hill by car. Don't call again unless you have a real emergency."

"But ma'am, I…" she hung up before I could finish my sentence. "Crap. They won't help us. She said she thought we were pranking them. And there was something strange. She sounded kind of funny when I mentioned Silent Hill."

Just then, a fog like what Xion described encircled the SUV. "What's going on?" Kairi asked, slowly decelerating from 75 to 45 MPH. I was surprised she had even reached that speed, going through the curvy, Appalachian Mountain roads of West Virginia. It was a testament to her driving skills.

"I have no idea, Kai," I said. I looked out into the fog and saw an outline ahead. "Wait, that's Xion's car! Pull over."

Kairi pulled the car to the side of the road and we all jumped out to run over to the totaled vehicle. I saw the driver's side of the windshield was broken and blood was dripping from the sharp edges. I heard a low moan coming from the mangled wreckage of the Jetta. "Xion, Vanitas," I called out, hoping one would answer.

"Ugh," the voice said as I followed it to the passenger's side, Kairi, Riku, Roxas, and Namine not too far behind. "Sora," Xion said weakly. I motioned everyone else to stay behind as I pried the door open.

"Sora, I'm going to look for Vanitas," Kairi said. I nodded and turned toward my injured friend.

"Xion, we're here. Are you ok?" I asked.

"Ugh, Sora," she weakly said. "I don't know."

I looked across her body to see what had happened. She had cuts all over her body. Still, she appeared to be alright. I unbuckled her from the seat and helped her out of the car. "Where's Vanitas?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said, holding her head. "But…in the fog, there was a girl. She…she looked normal, but there was something about her. She was about as tall as me. She was wearing a purple cropped top and denim shorts. And she also had black hair that was short in the back and long in the front. It was styled into three spikes that went across her face, and the largest completely covered her left eye. Vanitas tried to swerve out of the way, but we hit her. Well…we thought we hit her. She landed on her bare feet behind the car. Sora, that girl wasn't human!" Xion's hands were trembling and she was holding onto me as if her life depended on it. For all I knew, it probably did.

"It's ok, we're here, and we'll find Vanitas and whoever this girl is," I said. "Did you get a good look at her face?"

"No, it was too foggy," she said. "All I saw was her outline, clothes, and hair. I don't even feel comfortable calling it a 'her.' It was definitely not a person!" Xion's eyes fluttered closed. "I just need…need to…lie down." Xion passed out in my arms and I handed her to Riku. He carried her bridal-style to my Jeep and set her in the seat, staying with her to make sure she was alright.

About that time, Kairi came back, alone. "No sign of Vanitas anywhere," she said. "It's like he just disappeared."

"Xion mentioned a girl with black hair, a purple top, and denim shorts. She's the one that caused the accident," I said. "Xion said they ran over her, but she just landed on her feet. It was like it didn't even affect her at all."

"Do you think that's who took Vanitas?" she asked. "I mean, there's no way he could have walked away from this accident. Look at what it did to Xion!" Kairi bit her lip as she thought about what to do next. "I think we need to just go ahead into Silent Hill so we can find Vanitas and whoever this…woman is."

"Alright," I said. "Guys, get back in my car. We're going to the town to find Vanitas."

Everyone piled into my car, Kairi taking the wheel again while I got into the passenger's side. Namine and Roxas sat next to each other and Namine held Xion steady. Riku got into the back and leaned over the backseat and rested his head between Xion and Namine's. Kairi stepped on the gas and sped through the fog, her headlights on dim so she could see well. I saw Riku look out the back window through the rear-view mirror. "Umm, Kairi, I think you should go faster!" he said with an anxious tone in his voice.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because the ground is disappearing behind us!" he yelled. "It's just…falling away, and it's catching up fast!"

"God, I wish this thing went faster," she said under her breath, being used to her Corvette and being an amateur racecar driver. "Hold on, guys!" She slammed the gas pedal until it threatened to punch through the floorboard. I watched the needle of the MPH gauge rise higher than I ever thought possible for my Jeep.

The disappearing road nearly caught up with us before it stopped at the Silent Hill City Limits. Kairi stepped on the brakes and skidded to a stop just before we were about to plow through a pharmacy. "Whew, that was so close," she said, panting and checking her pulse on her neck.

"Yeah, thanks Kai," I said, lightly kissing her on the lips and playing with a strand of her red hair.

"You're welcome," she said as she tried to catch her breath. "Well, looks like there's no turning back now. Let's find Vanitas and get out of this place!"

Xion started to regain consciousness. "Ugh, where are we?" she asked through her daze.

"We're in Silent Hill," Namine answered. "And it doesn't look like we'll be getting out any time soon." And she was right; it seemed we'd be stuck there for a long time. All I could hope for is that we'd find Vanitas and be out of there as fast as we could, but I wasn't counting on that. I held Kairi's hand tight as we proceeded into the town.

Just as we'd heard, the town was abandoned. The same fog that caused Vanitas and Xion's wreck enveloped the whole town. Strangely, the buildings seemed to be intact. The streets were broken asphalt and several old cars were left abandoned. They still looked like they'd run, despite being over twenty-five years old. I thought I saw someone run down the street out of the corner of my eye, and it sent me on edge. I protectively pulled Kairi closer to me and wrapped my arm around her. "Sora, is something wrong?" she whispered.

"I just thought I saw something," I said. "I don't think we're alone here. Something…something just doesn't feel right, you know? I can't explain it, but this place feels…evil." Every instinct in my mind was telling me to run away, to try and find a way for us all to escape this nightmare, but we pressed forward. We had to find my brother, and I'd find him no matter what the cost!

"You know, I felt something too," she said. "I just don't feel right here."

"What do you guys think?" I asked, but received no response. "Um, guys…are you there?" I turned to see that Kairi and I were completely alone. "Riku, Roxas, Namine, where are you guys?" I called out.

"They just disappeared!" Kairi said. Her eyes widened in panic. "What happened?"

"I have no idea, but I don't like it," I said. Great, now we had more friends to look for. Kairi and I pressed through the fog in search of our friends, but we had no idea what we were getting into.

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><p>Author's Note: So, what do you think? This story marks the first appearance of my Heartless OC, Kurami. I used her Heartless form for this story because she's the one who is actually evil. She will be the main antagonist of part 6 of the Hearts series. That will be worked on shortly before the end of Light and Dark, so it will be a little while. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	2. Darkness of the Unknown

Author's Note: Hey, another quick update. I'm so happy my writer's block *which lasted nearly six months* is over and I can update more often again. This chapter is Riku, so enjoy...

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><p><em><strong>Riku's<strong> PoV:_

I had no idea where I ended up. I was somewhere in the middle of an open field. I wandered through the thick fog, trying to find any sign of the town. After looking at the ground for a while, I realized I must have been in a baseball field. I followed the diamond to the home plate and found the fence and exit. The exit happened to have been through a locker room, but I didn't care. I turned the handle on the door and entered the pitch-black room.

I couldn't see anything, and there was a very musty smell in the air. This place hadn't been used for years. I took my phone out of my pocket, opened a blank window in the web browser, and used the white screen as a flashlight. There wasn't much to see, though. It looked like any other locker room you'd find in any high school. But after taking another look, I noticed some things were off about the place. There was still water on the floor in one of the shower stalls and damp towel hanging on the shower head. It was slightly unnerving, but I'd seen creepier things. Maybe the school had been evacuated suddenly and there was a drip in the shower. I noticed some water dripping from the head under the towel. That would also explain why the towel was damp, but things suddenly started to go wrong.

Somewhere in the distance, a siren started to go off. It was getting louder with each second until finally, it was almost too much for me to handle! I collapsed to the floor with my hands covering my ears and eyes tightly shut. It was so painful. It went on for longer than I would have thought.

Eventually, it stopped and I stood up with the worst headache. I looked at my surroundings and found that they had changed into something more frightening. The water on the floor turned red, as if it were blood, the musty smell changed to the smell of decaying human flesh, and the lockers and showers were rusted. I felt on edge. How could it have changed like that so quickly? I was starting to think Namine's fears from earlier weren't completely unfounded!

I tried to open the door I came through, but it was suddenly locked. "I gotta get out of here," I mumbled to myself as I tried to kick the door down. It didn't work, and left my foot sore from the impact. I had no choice but to press on into the school and hope the other doors were unlocked.

I exited the locker room into a dark hall. I saw a flashlight and a key on the table next to me. I picked both items up and decided to try the key on the next locks I found. I turned on the flashlight to find my way, but was startled by what was in front of me.

Two little shapes stood before me. They looked like little children until they came closer. I realized they were something completely different. They didn't have faces, and looked as if they were wearing white jumpsuits. They came at me with butcher knives and I had no choice but to run. They kept up with me at a frightening pace. I had to do something! I saw a broom leaned against the wall and grabbed it. I kicked the brush off and wielded the stick like a staff. I smacked one away, but the other tried to cut my leg. I kicked it and stabbed it through the chest. It collapsed to the ground and left me to deal with the other. I disposed of it in a similar manner as its friend. I picked up one of the knives, thinking it to be a more suitable weapon than the broomstick, and ran back to where I'd found them, the two having led me to a dead end. The door to what I thought was the Principal's office was slightly cracked, so I decided to go in.

Thankfully, the room was empty, but it was just as frightening as the rest of the school. I tested the key on the drawers at the desk and surprisingly, it opened the top-left drawer. I found a gun inside. It was probably kept there for self-defense in an emergency situation, so I hoped it was still loaded. I stuck it in the back of my pants, tucking in my shirt for a makeshift holster, and left the room.

I saw steam coming from the girls' locker room. I thought I was the only person in the building, so I decided to check it out. I opened the door slowly. The sound of a shower became more apparent as I walked through until it suddenly shut off. I was startled when I saw a shadow. I raised my gun in front of me and prepared to defend myself. Though, I wasn't expecting what I saw.

A young woman wrapped in a towel emerged from behind the wall, and I nearly shot her. "Oh my God, who are you?" she squealed. She quickly jumped back to the wall and I lowered the pistol.

"I'm so sorry, miss," I said, covering my eyes. "My name is Riku, and I'm looking for my friends. Have you seen a bunch of teenagers wandering around here?"

"Hold on a second, just let me get dressed," she said. A minute later, she emerged in a blue shirt and denim shorts. The shirt exposed her stomach a little. She was very attractive, to say the least. She had bright blue eyes and long, blond hair. "Now, did you say your name was Riku? What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, I got separated from my friends," I said. It was a good thing it was dark and I was shining the flashlight away from me because I was blushing. It wasn't just because I'd seen this girl almost naked, but also because she was seriously pretty. Looking into her eyes, it almost put me in a trance. "Have you seen any of them? There were two guys, one with spikey brown hair, and another with spikey blond hair. And there were three girls. One girl was a redhead, the other had black hair, and the third was a blond."

"Sorry, can't say that I have," she replied, looking upset that she couldn't help.

"It's ok," I said. "Say, what were you doing taking a shower there anyway?"

"I've been stranded here for a while, too, and I was starting to smell bad. I'm surprised this place still has running water," she said with a big smile on her face. "I can show you around, if you'd like. I can help you against those monsters. They aren't the only ones you need to worry about in Silent Hill. The demons that possess this place can take many forms." I may have been mistaken, but I could have sworn she grinned as she finished that sentence, but it may have just been a trick of the light.

"I guess it would be better than going alone," I said. "What did you say your name was?"

"Oh, where are my manners?" she laughed. "My name is Kurami. I grew up in the next town, and wandered here. I've been stuck ever since."

"Let's get out of here together, then," I said, taking her hand. She grabbed it and immediately pulled me closer to her. I was stunned by the sudden contact, but it was nice. She seemed like a genuinely nice person, and she was my only companionship for the time being. We pressed on through the Darkness, looking for the exit of the school.

After what seemed like hours, I was starting to give up hope of ever escaping. At least I had Kurami with me. "I think we've been down this way before, Kurami," I said. I had my gun in my right hand and Kurami's right hand in my left.

"Yeah, it shouldn't have taken this long for us to get out," she said, sounding a little scared. "Maybe…Gaaahhhh!" she screamed as a long tentacle wrapped around her ankles and she crashed to the ground. "Riku, help me!" She flailed and screamed as I tried to free her, but she was dragged into the darkness. I heard her screams echo into the abyss and I fired a few rounds, hoping to kill whatever took her, but I was too late. I had no choice but to assume she was probably already dead.

"I'm sorry, Kurami," I apologized, though I knew she couldn't hear me. I went through a door and found myself in the cafeteria. Three corpses hung from the ceiling and blood stained the tables. I tensed up as I heard something shuffle behind the divider to the kitchen. I held my pistol up and slowly walked toward the source of noise. It was pitch black all around me, the only light coming from my flashlight, which was almost dead. The sound got louder as I inched closer. I was almost to the kitchen when suddenly, a large, dog-like monster leaped from the dark. I shot the beast, but I missed and it slashed me across the chest. I collapsed to the ground in pain, and forced myself to raise the pistol once more. As the monster tried to finish me off, I shot it straight through the skull. It fell to the ground beside me and I was left bleeding on the floor.

I shined the flashlight out and saw the door slowly creak open. Something was coming toward me, and I wasn't in any shape to defend myself anymore. Fear crept into my heart as I thought of this being the end. The footsteps grew louder and closer. I raised the light to see what was coming toward me, but I was not expecting what I saw.

It was Kurami. She was smiling and looked relatively unharmed. "Oh, thank God it's you, Kurami. I thought you were dead," I said, relieved by her familiar face. Her face…there was something completely wrong. Something didn't feel right about her smile. "Umm, Kurami, are you all right?"

"Oh, I'm better than all right, Riku," she said. "I'm so overjoyed to see you again." That's when I noticed something. Her eyes had changed. They were golden, and the pupils changed to cat-like slits. She started to laugh like an insane woman.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked. "What happened to your eyes?"

I was terrified of her now for some reason. She just laughed more. "Oh, I still look like this?" she asked rhetorically. Suddenly, darkness enveloped her body and she changed. When the darkness cleared, she was a completely different woman. Her body shape had changed drastically. Her long, blond hair had turned short and black with three long spikes hanging in front of her face. Her blue shirt became a purple, low-cut cropped top and her shorts got shorter. Her figure became curvier. Her breasts grew larger and her hips were wider. She smiled and her teeth had fangs. "I told you, the demons that possess this town take many forms!" She stepped on my leg and snapped it in half. I howled in pain and she acted as if she'd heard the most beautiful music.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked through my pain. I picked the gun back up and unleashed the rest of the bullets into her. I shot her in the head and through her heart, but neither killed her. The wounds bled for a bit, but healed quickly with a sickening sound. "Please, let me go!"

"And ruin my fun? No way," she said. She straddled me and stole a quick kiss on my lips, her breasts rubbing against my chest. Instead of arousing me, however, it made me even more afraid of this demon. "It's been a while since I've had a decent meal, and you kids are just what I've been waiting for. Too bad I need to save that Vanitas for last. You need a reason to pursue me, so I can't kill him…yet!" She kissed me again and stood back up. Kurami held out her hand and materialized a katana. She raised the weapon and plunged it into my chest. I screamed from the pain and knew I was about to die. "It's a shame, you were really handsome, Riku, and very trusting. You would have made the perfect boyfriend, if I didn't want to drink your blood!"

My vision started to blur and black circles appeared in my field of vision. I was afraid, and I knew my death was unavoidable. I coughed up blood onto Kurami's stomach and she scooped it up with her fingers. She licked the blood from her fingers and grinned evilly. "Delicious…I haven't tasted human blood in so long! Now, die, Riku, so I can eat the rest of you!" She took the sword and swung it down toward the top of my skull. I closed my eyes and felt the blade cut the top of my skull before it was all over…

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><p>Author's Note: Kurami's ruthless, ain't she? lol The form she originally took is her human form from the unwritten sixth part of the Hearts series. The form and outfit before she became a Heartless and Nobody. Her Nobody looks the same, but with longer hair and red eyes. Next update will be Light and Dark. Until next time, friends...<p> 


	3. Waking the Demon

Author's Note: Hey guys, here's the new chapter, finally. lol This one has two parts. The first is Roxas and the second is Namine. I gotta warn you, though. This chapter has a tad bit of yuri, but nothing extremely explicit. If you don't want to read that part, then stop after Roxas' part, PM me and I'll fill you in on what happens. But if you don't mind it being there, then enjoy the rest of the story. Enjoy...

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><p><strong><em>Roxas:<em>**

"Oh my God, where am I," I mumbled as I ran my fingers through my spikey blond hair. I was lying on my back on some kind of hospital bed. I had no idea how I got there either. "Sora, Kairi, Riku, Namine, Xion, are you guys there?" I asked. There was no reply, however. I tried to get off the bed and stand up, but my legs felt like noodles. I managed to fumble around the dark room to a light switch, but they wouldn't turn on. The building must not have had any power. I was in complete darkness. I reached into my pocket and fished out my phone so I could see where I was and maybe find a flashlight. There were tables with drawers around me, so I began to search each one. I found a mini-flashlight that would clip onto my shirt. I turned it on and clipped it to the collar. It made my collar sag a little, but that was the least of my concert. I had to find a way out and find my friends so we could get Vanitas and get out of that town.

There was also a decorative sword hanging on the wall. I didn't know what might be lurking in the darkness of that hospital, but I knew I'd probably need the sword. I took it and slung it over my shoulder, walking out the door into the darkness of the hallway.

It was quiet for a long time, and not just quiet meaning normal, natural sounds. It was complete silence. It made me on edge and made my ears start ringing. The silence was broken by footsteps from behind me. I turned, but couldn't see anything yet. Whatever it was hadn't come into the flashlight's range yet. What really disturbed me, however, was a low moan and the sound of bones crackling. Soon, the creature came from the darkness and into my line of sight. A faceless figure stood before me. I made out the form as being female; mostly thanks to the bloody, torn outfit it was wearing. It wore a tan, low-cut nurse's shirt and a nurse's hat. It also wore a short, tight mini-skirt and heels. The outfit was something I'd fantasized seeing Namine in a time or two, but the sight was sickening when it was on this monster. Its movements were sharp and showed where the bone-cracking sound was coming from. Every motion seemed painful, like the creature was in an eternal torment simply by walking. It had a knife in hand, so I raised my sword to fight it off.

It charged and the sound was like someone popping bubble wrap. Before it could slash me, I stabbed it in the chest and blood sprayed all over my face. The creature collapsed and I used my shirt to wipe the blood out of my eyes.

Suddenly, I heard another noise. I turned around to see what it was, but was surprised to find a normal-looking girl. She had long, blonde hair down her back and was wearing a blue cropped top with denim shorts. Her blue eyes sparkled in my flashlight. "Who are you?" I asked as she walked closer to me. She was extremely beautiful.

"My name is Kurami," she said in a sweet voice. "I've been lost in this town for a long time. I don't even remember how long it's been!" She seemed frightened and I felt a need to comfort her. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder to make her feel secure.

"I'm Roxas," I introduced. "I've been separated from my friends. Have you seen anyone else around here?"

"No, but how about we look for them together," she said. She tried to lace her fingers with mine as she grabbed my hand, but I shrugged her off. I would have been lying if I said I wasn't attracted to her, but I couldn't let myself think about her. I was with Namine. End of story. I didn't plan on cheating on her with some random stranger, no matter how hot that stranger might be.

We walked through the dark hallways, fighting demonic nurses as we went along. Kurami and I developed a sort of attachment to each other during that short time. We traveled together for about ten minutes. "Is there even an exit to this hospital?" I asked.

"There has to be one," she said. We got in here somehow, right?"

"I guess so," I said.

"Besides, if we don't find a way out soon, those monsters will kill us. I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired. I don't think I could survive another attack!" she said with fear in her eyes.

"I'll keep you safe, Kurami," I said. "Nothing is going to kill you. I promise."

"Thank you, Roxas," she said. "Hey, lean a little closer." I did as she said, but immediately pulled away when she kissed me on the lips.

"What do you think you're doing, Kurami? I have a girlfriend!" I said angrily.

Her face turned darker as if I'd hurt her with that outburst and sudden rejection. "I'm sorry," she said as she stifled tears. "I didn't know you were with someone. I…I don't know what came over me. I just…felt some unbearable attraction to you. I…I want you, Roxas."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. She stepped closer and backed me into the wall. Her face was mere inches from mine and I could taste her breath. She seemed to be deliberately breathing into my mouth. The taste reminded me of homemade apple pie with cinnamon and brown sugar. It was everything I could do to resist her advance. "Kurami, stop this! I…I don't…I don't even know you!"

"Just shut up and kiss me, Roxas," she said. I barely noticed her eyes flicker red, but that didn't completely register in my mind at the time.

Her body was now pressed against mine. The contact made my cheeks flush and certain hormones react. I knew I'd hate myself for it, but I claimed her lips in a fiery kiss as my hands roamed her slender form. The skin of her bare abdomen was soft and warm against my hands, just as her lips were against mine. "Oh, Roxas…" she moaned. She ripped my shirt off and traced my chest and abs with her slender fingers. Namine was never this passionate all the times I was with her. Kurami was insane! My brain shut itself down before the guilt of cheating on her could sink in.

I had closed my eyes as she had her way with me. She was about to pull my pants down when I opened my eyes. I wasn't expecting what I saw, though.

A different girl was in Kurami's place, and she was, though more sexualized, far more frightening than even the nurses. Her purple top exposed her abdomen, but she wore the same denim shorts as Kurami, albeit a little shorter. Her breasts were larger and her hips wider, giving her an hourglass figure. Her jet-black hair was short in the back with three, long spikes hanging down to serve as bangs. The largest spike covered nearly all of her left eye. Her eyes…they were the frightening part of her. The irises were gold and the pupils were cat-like slits. Looking at her as a whole, this woman reminded me of a snake!

"What did you do with Kurami?" I demanded. "Where is she?"

The woman laughed. "Roxas, I am Kurami," she said. "This is what I do, silly. I seduce the people who wander into the town so I can kill them and eat their hearts! And I could tell from the moment I saw you that yours would be exceptionally delicious!"

"What are you?" I asked.

"My kind has been called many things throughout history," she said. "The term you may be more familiar with would be…Succubus." I could have sworn she hissed the last "s" in Succubus. That would explain her intense sexual behavior and unusual seductive power. "I can seduce anyone I wish. You know in your heart that you wouldn't intentionally cheat on your girlfriend. You love her too much, and I can sense that."

"Just let me go so I can find her!" I pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but she's also on the menu tonight," Kurami said. "It's been a while since I tasted the blood of a female. I can't wait to sink my teeth into her jugular vein!" Kurami licked her lips as she imagined what Namine's blood would taste like. My eyes were full of tears as I sat down and grabbed clumps of my hair.

"Look, you can kill me if you want, but I'm begging you…please, don't kill Namine!" I begged. "She's got her whole life ahead of her, and she doesn't deserve to die! Please, I'm begging you, Kurami…let her go!"

Kurami kneeled to meet my gaze. "Sorry, Roxas," she said. "But this is my nature as a demon. I wish I could spare her, but the promise of her blood is far too exciting for me to pass up! You'll see her again once you're both dead, I promise."

I spat in her face and she drew back. "Drop dead," I said.

"You'll regret that," she said. She drew her hand back and thrust it into my chest. I howled in unbearable pain as I felt her rip my heart from the veins and arteries attaching it. She pulled it out of my chest as it was still beating. I nearly threw up, but couldn't bring myself to do it as I felt myself slowly die. I guess it wouldn't be much different from asphyxiation. Without my heart, oxygen couldn't reach my brain. I was royally screwed. Before my vision blacked out, I saw her take a bite of my heart as if it were an apple. I saw a large smile on her face, which was covered in blood. I hung my head down as I died.

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><p><strong><em>Namine:<em>**

"Roxas, Riku, anyone, are you there?" I called out all alone. As much as I could figure, I was in a high school class room. It was almost pitch black and I could hear noises just outside the door. I was terrified of what could have been making those sounds. I fumbled around and felt a flashlight lying in one of the desks. I was relieved to finally have some light, but it also made the thought off what was outside the door even more frightening. I was half-afraid to open the door, but I swallowed my fear, picked up a broomstick that was lying next to me, and charged through the door.

Low and behold, there was some kind of creature in front of me. It was a small, black, transparent ghost-like creature. It made this squeaking sound as it walked and didn't try to harm me. It reminded me of a little toddler, especially when it fell. I laughed and it took notice of me. It promptly disappeared and I was left alone. I wished for the ghost's presence again. Being alone was far more disturbing than anything else in this town. "No need to be alone, Namine," a voice said behind me.

"Who's there?" I called out. "Show yourself!"

A young, blond-haired woman was walking closer to me through the shadows. She didn't look hostile, but there was also something off about her too. "My name is Kurami, and I'm lost, just like you," she said.

"How do you know my name?" I said.

"I saw your boyfriend, Roxas," she said. "I was with him not too long ago, but he sacrificed himself to let me get away from a group of demon children." She hung her head down and looked as if she was going to cry.

My heart shattered. "Roxas is…dead?" I asked in disbelief. I put my right hand on the wall for support as I clutched my chest with my left hand. "No…no…this…this can't be real! I…Roxas…no."

"I'm sorry, Namine," she said. "I wanted to help him, but the monsters he was fighting killed him before I could help. I'm so sorry!"

I walked over to her and hugged her, not just for her sake, but also my own. I dismissed all suspicions about Kurami as I saw the sincerity of her pain. "Don't worry, we'll find a way out of this place. First, we have to find my friends, if they're still alive."

"Alright," she said. "Follow me. I think I know how to get out of this school." I followed Kurami as she led me through the dark halls of the school. "Namine, if it will make you feel better, Roxas told me how much he loved you. He said you were the Light of his life."

"He really said that?" I asked. "That does make me feel better, but it still hurts that I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"I know the feeling," she said. "About a week before I got trapped here in Silent Hill, I got into an argument with my brother. I told him off and he stormed out of the house. A few hours later, I got a call from the police saying he died in a car accident." She started to cry again.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"It's ok," she said. "I came here to clear my head, but ended up getting trapped. I've been here for about a month now, living off what I can. The food in the cafeteria freezer is still good, and so is the canned food, so I haven't worried about starving to death. But I miss my brother so much. He was my best friend, and I loved him dearly."

"We'll get out of this, Kurami," I said. "Then, you can visit your brother's grave and say goodbye for real."

"Thanks, Namine," she said. At least Kurami had the body of her brother to say goodbye to. Roxas was probably mutilated into millions of pieces.

We wandered for what felt like hours. I knew we were going in circles, and I felt Kurami was doing this on purpose. "Kurami, we've been down this hall before. I remember passing the Teacher's Lounge before. You're leading us in circles!"

"I know," she said. My heart sank as she admitted she had no intention of leading me out.

"What?"

"I'm not exactly what I appear to be," she said as she stopped and turned around to face me, a golden glow in her once-blue eyes.

"What are you?" I asked with fear in my voice. She started to transform into the creature Xion had described Vanitas running over, a beautiful black-haired woman in a purple shirt and denim shorts.

"I represent the darkest corner of your mind," she said. "I can become anything your heart wants me to be. Tell me, Namine; what is your deepest secret? What is the one thing that you don't want anyone to know about you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm getting out of here!" I said as I turned away. It was no use, though. She was standing in front of me as I turned around with her arms crossed and an irritated look on her face. Her cat-like, gold eyes were focused on me.

"You're lying," she said. "I already know what it is. There's been a desire in you for most of your life, a desire for another woman. But because of the way you were raised, you were led to believe that you needed to punish and repress yourself because of that. You felt dirty, so you decided to get a boyfriend in hopes of 'curing' yourself! Every time you had sex with Roxas, it was just another lie you were telling yourself!"

"You liar!" I screamed, though she was mostly telling the truth aside from the part about Roxas. It was true. I was a lesbian, but I couldn't stand who I was! At the same time, however, I was tired of hiding and just wanted to scream it to the world. "I did love Roxas! He was the only man that I ever felt anything toward! Sure, I wasn't as passionate with him as he deserved, but I still loved him!"

"But you'd rather have someone else…someone more like me!" she said as she pushed me back against the wall and held her face close to mine. "Namine, I am the manifestation of your repressed sexuality, just as Maria was for James Sunderland all those years ago. I am also your self-inflicted punishment, your Pyramid Head!" So, all those stories were true? I knew it all along, but no one would listen to me!

Before I could make a move to get away, she kissed me and pinned me to the wall. The taste of her lips was unlike anything I'd ever known before. She trailed down my cheek and then suddenly my neck. I was in heaven, if but for a moment.

Then something happened that I wasn't expecting. Kurami bit down hard on my jugular vein, sucking the blood as it flowed from the deep wound. I tried to scream, but after a second, it only came out as a gurgle. I started to panic. I didn't know what would kill me, loss of blood or drowning on the blood that was filling my lungs. I had never been more scared.

"Goodnight, beautiful," she said as she dropped my blood-drained body to the ground and walked away. "I love you." My fingers twitched and my vision started to go out of focus as I watched her form disappear into the darkness. The school would be my grave. I was left alone with nothing but my own regrets and a small bottle of a strange red liquid next to my hand…

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><p>Author's Note: So, how did you like the story? Things will start to make sense eventually lol. I know exactly what I'm doing XD. Next chapter will be a surprise. You may see it coming, you may not see it. But there is a clue in this chapter and the one before it. It's not obvious, but it's there. lol Anyway, next update won't take this long, not will it be as sexually explicit as this one, though this one wasn't much lol. Until next time, friends...<p>

P.S. Also, to the reviewer XIIIXV, thanks for the review. I'm putting this here since I couldn't reply to the review lol. And thank you to everyone else who reviewed and who will review in the future.


	4. An Ocean Between Us

Author's Note: Sorry for such a late update and short chapter. I really tried to make it longer, but this darn writer's block lol. Anyway, enjoy...

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><p><em><strong>Namine's PoV:<strong>_

I felt the urge to use the last of my strength to reach for the bottle. I have no idea what compelled me, but I just had to taste it. It was like some supernatural force was telling me to drink the liquid. I didn't even read the label on the side before I was chugging the small amount. I coughed and dropped the bottle. The taste was terrible, but then I realized something. I was up on my knees! How did I have the strength to do that? I read the label and there was a small note on the side. It read, "To anyone who finds this, make good use of it—Michael Kaufmann." I was grateful to this Kaufmann man for providing me a means to survive, but even I knew that the effect wouldn't be permanent. I just had to find Kurami or any of my friends before it was all too late!

I staggered to my feet and felt around for the flashlight. I took it and jogged through the hallways. Along the way, I couldn't help but think of a few things. I thought of how Kurami made me feel even worse for using Roxas. I'd never forgive myself, but I hoped at least Roxas could have. Now she took away any chance I had of apologizing to him and confessing my true sexuality. I no longer hated myself because of it. I saw exactly how that hatred could manifest itself. And besides, it wasn't like I would live long enough to actually find someone I could love. Depending on how effective the red liquid was and how fast my metabolism—which was pretty fast—would react to it, I guessed I had at least thirty minutes, but no more than an hour. After that, I would be dead. But that was just a guess. I had no idea how this drug worked or how it kept me alive when I should have been dead. Truly, I was nothing more than a walking corpse, reanimated by a drug I didn't even know the name of. Nothing different from the monsters that roamed these halls. I picked up the pace, not wanting to waste any of my precious time.

I ran into a few monsters, but ignored them and pressed onward. Some force, the same that told me to drink the liquid, told me to go through certain doors and finally down a flight of stairs. I had no idea I was on the second floor, but apparently, I was. I barreled through a set of doors into the girls' locker room. The shower was dripping with what appeared to be blood. Then I realized, the whole school changed form. The walls became rusty and worn, the floor turned to a grating, and the whole area gave off the smell of evil. I knew I was in the closest thing on earth to Hell, which, according to my parents, I was going to anyway.

My parents. Maybe it was best for me to die here. I'd never have to disappoint them and cause them to hate me by telling them I was a lesbian. Mom might still have loved me, but I knew dad would throw me out or at least beat me senseless until he thought I was straight enough for him. He hated my kind more than anything. Love was practically nonexistent in his heart, if he even had one of those. I didn't even think he loved me or mom at all. Maybe he loved her at a time, but that was before she became his personal punching bag.

I shook my head of those dreadful thoughts. I didn't want to spend my last few hours on Earth in depression. My main focus was to find the rest of my friends while they were alive. I knew, for sure, that searching for Roxas was a waste of time. He, the only guy I've ever loved, was dead and never coming back. But did I love him? Of course, I did, but not the way a girlfriend should. He was my best friend, but he was never anything more in my heart. I was in his, thought. He treated me like a goddess. I felt so beautiful around him. Now, I probably looked like a train wreck. There was a mirror hanging on the wall, so I shined the flashlight and looked at my features.

My eyes and cheeks were sunken in, my flesh even paler than it already was, and my hair was a tattered mess. I looked dead. Which, I basically was. I noticed my heart wasn't beating, and I had no pulse. My neck had a bite mark where Kurami crushed my windpipe. The remnant of the blood that once flowed through my body was oozing out slowly. I would have thrown up, but my gag reflex didn't work either. That just added to my despair, knowing I was as good as dead and being kept alive through artificial means. My life was over. I was just on borrowed time.

I eventually set off through the school again. I could already feel myself growing weaker. That's when I saw it, Kurami poised to strike. She had a sword above her head and started to swing down. I looked to see who she was killing, and it was Riku. I bolted toward them, determined to save his life…

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><p><strong><em>Riku's PoV:<em>**

I waited for the blade to split my skull, but instead I heard a loud thud. I looked to see Namine had tackled Kurami to the ground. "You leave my friend alone!" she said with a fiery rage in her voice. She didn't look very good. She was paler than usual, almost as if she were dead. She also had an enormous bite mark on her neck that was still oozing blood.

"You…no, I killed you! How are you still alive?" Kurami asked in disbelief. She must have been the one who did that to Namine.

"The human brain can survive for a little while without oxygen from blood. You neglected to make sure I was dead. I found this little bottle next to where you dumped my body," Namine said angrily. She pulled a small, empty vial from her pocket.

"No, you found some Aglaophotis?" Kurami asked in horror. "I thought that Mason girl used the last of it to destroy the goddess!"

"Apparently there was a little bit left," Namine said. "Now, I'm going to make you pay for killing Roxas! I know I'll die when this stuff wears off, but I can at least avenge him!"

"That's what you think," Kurami said. She slowly started to disappear in the floor. Namine tried to grab her, but she'd already sank into the ground before Namine could grab her.

"No," Namine screamed. She hung her head down and began to cry.

"Namine, what was that all about?" I asked as I crawled to her and embraced her.

"Riku, Kurami killed Roxas!" she cried. "She drank my blood, but this Aglaophotis stuff is keeping me alive. I don't know how long it will work. I'm already feeling weaker. Please, find everyone else and save Vanitas before it's too late."

"Namine…I'll try," I said. She collapsed into my arms. "Namine, please don't go!"

"Riku…I…I see Roxas," she said, her eyes focusing on something behind me. I turned my head, but didn't see. "Roxas, I'll be there…soon. I can…finally tell you how sorry…sorry I am for using…you. I couldn't love you the way you deserved…" Namine died in my arms. I wondered what she meant by "using" him and not being able to love him. I always thought they were the perfect couple. I didn't want to just leave her body there, but I couldn't exactly take her with me, especially with my broken leg. I took a broomstick leaning against the wall and made a makeshift splint by tying it with my earphones and a piece of string. As much as I hated to, I left Namine's body lying on the ground and hobbled away. I turned to look at my beautiful friend one, last time and continued into the Darkness. I resolved that I was going to find Xion, Sora, and Kairi alive and that we would rescue Vanitas, kill Kurami, and get out of the town for good.

The school never seemed to end. I was haunted by the image of Namine's dead body lying on the ground. I was also frightened that I would run into Kurami again. She didn't screw around with us. She just wanted the kill. But why? What did she want with us? Was there some reason, or was she just a senseless murderer? Namine's last words hung in my mind. It was like she regretted something. Was she in love with another guy while she was with Roxas? No, Namine wasn't like that. She would never cheat on him with another man.

The dark hallway seemed to get darker as I went on. It wasn't just a normal pitch-black darkness. This darkness seemed otherworldly. It was unnatural. Nothing should have been that dark. Blood and rust stains were covering the walls. My cellphone light didn't do much good. It was like the darkness was sucking the light away from the phone. But hey, a little was better than nothing. It at least kept me from tripping, which was difficult in and of itself with this splint. I'd need real medical treatment soon, but I wasn't looking for that to happen. I wasn't even looking to make it out alive.

I thought I saw a figure in the distance, but it bolted before I could make out who it was. "Hey, come back!" I shouted, not thinking it could have been a monster or even Kurami. No, it couldn't have been Kurami. She'd wait a while for my pain to subside before attacking me again. She was probably after Xion, Kairi, and Sora.

Despite my instincts to stay put, I chased the figure as fast as I could. I screamed in pain each time I landed on my leg, but didn't let it stop me. I needed to find out who it was.

It was backed into a corner with nowhere to run when I finally caught up to it. "Please, don't kill me!" it called to me, apparently thinking I was a demon, and I recognized the voice. I walked closer to this man, who was now in a fetal position in the corner, and was shocked when I finally saw his face.

"Vanitas, what happened to you?"

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><p>Author's Note: So, what did you think? I really have a habit of leaving these chapters with cliffhangers, don't I? lol How did Vanitas escape Kurami? Is this even the real Vanitas? I'll let you guys think about that for a while as I update Her Scars and Beauty of Darkness lol. The delay on Beauty of Darkness is because I just re-wrote the whole chapter I was working on lol. I tried a third-person PoV, but decided I do better with first-person.<p>

Another reason I've been so slow recently is that I just got into reading The Hunger Games. I saw the trailer for the movie when I went to see Breaking Dawn and am so excited! Easily the best books I've ever read. I just started the third and final book today after finishing the second this morning.

P.S. About the letter on the Aglaophotis bottle, I originally had it written by Heather Mason from Silent Hill 3, but thought it would make more sense if Kaufmann from SH1 would have written it. Plus, I thought it would be nice to have this in continuity with the games. lol

Until next time, friends...


	5. Hunter of the Dark

Author's Note: New chapter of Silent Kingdom. This time, it's Kairi's PoV and will focus on her inner struggle. If you haven't already noticed (because it's less obvious in some characters than others), the theme of this is that all the characters have something secret about themselves that they either hate or feel the need to punish themselves for, and Kurami takes advantage of it. Roxas' was objectifying women and slight sexual addiction. Namine hated herself for her sexuality. Let's see what Kairi's personal Hell is, shall we?

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><p>"Sora, does this town ever have an end?" I asked. Sora and I had been wandering around Silent Hill for hours. My ankles were killing me and I could tell Sora was exhausted as well.<p>

"I have no idea," he said. "Want to stop and rest? Maybe we can raid that convenience store next to the truck stop for some supplies."

"Sora, I don't steal," I said.

"It's abandoned anyway," he said. "This town has been abandoned for years."

I thought about it for a while. Could it really be stealing if the town had no inhabitants? "Ok, maybe we can find some food that isn't spoiled."

Sora broke the glass door and we entered the store. No alarm sounded since there was no electricity. Sora combed over one side of the store and I took the other. I collected a few cans of each kind of canned food there was. The shelves must have been restocked just before the town was abandoned. "Kai, after I see if I can turn the water to this place on and get some electricity going, I'm going to go to the gun shop next door," Sora said. "Want a pistol or something?"

"Yeah, a small one," I said. "I can't handle anything too big. I've never shot a gun before." Suddenly, I was thankful that Sora's dad was a plumber. He taught Sora everything he knew about water pipes, sewage, and septic tanks. I continued to pile groceries into a basket. Sora and I were going to camp out in one of the stores for the night. I was scared, but as long as I had him with me, I knew I'd be all right.

I set my basket down and walked into the bathroom of the truck stop that was attached to the store. The mirror was dirty, so I used one of the moist cloths I swiped from the store to clean it. I looked absolutely awful. My hair was a knotted mess, my makeup was almost gone, and I had a moderately deep cut on my face from a run-in with some flying monster. I knew the makeup was a lost cause, so I concentrated on getting the knots out of my hair. It took some time, but eventually, it fell straight again.

"Ok, the water should be back on, Kai," Sora said as he came closer to my location. "I've got a shotgun for myself and a 9mm pistol for you."

"Thanks," I said. "I'm going to take a quick shower while there's still running water."

"Ok, just don't use up all the hot water," he said. "Save some for me."

I smiled and undressed myself outside the shower stall. There was a mirror to my left side and I saw my naked body in the reflection. I sighed as the disappointing sight filled my eyes. I hated the way I looked. I was scrawny, had small breasts, and had about as much muscle mass as a dried stick, no figure to speak of and I couldn't exactly pass off as sexy in anyone's eyes but Sora's. I threw my bra at the mirror out of frustration and stormed into the stall. I felt warm water hit my body and realized I'd been freezing. I took a bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap that I recovered from the store and cleaned my body. As I felt the flat plane that I called my midsection, I wished, more than anything, to at least be able to gain a few pounds, for my ribs to be less visible and my figure a little fuller. It's not like I never tried. I probably ate more than the rest of the group whenever we'd go out, worked out at the gym nearly every day, but I never could seem to gain any weight. I just had to be "that friend" in the group that never gained a pound. Constantly hungry, growing skinnier every day. My body never developed into that of a young woman.

My family tried to convince me that I wasn't really as bad off as I knew in my heart that I was. They took me to many psychiatrists and dieticians. I heard things like "overworking her heart," "Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder," and "she'll have a heart attack and die if she keeps this up," but I knew what was wrong with me. I was too skinny, and would die if I _**didn't **_keep it up. I considered steroids, but hadn't reached that level of desperation yet. No matter what I did, though, I was utterly repulsed by my body and wished for nothing more than to look normal, whatever normal was.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the stall. I reached for a towel and dried myself off. When I was completely dry, I picked up my bra and underwear and put my white shirt and jeans back on. "Finally," I thought. I didn't have to look at myself anymore.

Sora walked in as I put my shirt on and wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Kai, I love you," he said.

"I love you too," I said as I turned in his arms and kissed him. As much as I hated my body most of the time, Sora could always make me feel beautiful.

Sora let go of me too quickly and I gave a pout. "I'll be right out after my shower," he said. "Then we can rest for a while and look for everyone else.

I left the room and closed the door. I heard Sora turn on the shower and sat down next to the door. "Namine, Xion, I hope you two are alright," I whispered. Yes, I was worried about my other friends, but those two were like my sisters. Suddenly, I heard a noise from the store. "Sora, I heard something." I hoped he could hear me through the door. "I'm going to check it out."

"Ok, but take your gun," he said.

"I'll be right back," I said. I slowly walked to the store with my gun pointed in front of me. I opened the door, but didn't see anything. I stalked the aisles to find nothing was disturbed, except what Sora and I moved while we searched for supplies. "Whoever is here, show yourself!"

I received no answer, so I decided maybe a can of food fell. It was hard to tell due to all the cans Sora and I left scattered. I turned to go back to the showers, but the door was locked. "Strange," I thought. I never remembered Sora locking the door. "Sora, did you lock the door?" No answer. "Sora, are you ok? Sora…Sora!" It was no use. He wasn't answering. I braced myself to try and break down the door. I stepped back, took a deep breath, and charged the door, hearing an eerie siren as I charged. It gave way with me and I came crashing down on the wet floor.

When I looked up, no one was in the room. The floor was wet, but there was no sign of Sora or his clothes. The room looked different from anything I'd seen in the town so far. The walls were rusty metal and the floor was broken in places. Parts of it was steel grating that showed nothing but a black abyss below me. I noticed that the showers were rusty and the water I landed in was cold. I quickly stood up and took a good look at where I was.

The door I just barreled through was somehow closed again, and locked. I tried to force the handle, but it was no use. "Sora, where are you!" I called with tears in my eyes. "No…" I just couldn't handle being separated from him. I dropped to my hands and knees, feeling more alone than I ever had in my life.

"Hello, is someone there," a girl said from behind me. I turned with my gun pointing in front of me. "Hey, easy. Don't shoot me! I'm just as lost as you are. My name is Kurami." She had long blond hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a blue shirt with denim shorts. She also had the very figure I'd have killed for. Her blue shirt showed a bit of her toned stomach, causing a twinge of jealousy to creep into my heart.

"I'm Kairi," I said. I reluctantly lowered my gun and my guard. "Have you seen my boyfriend around? His name is Sora and he's got spikey brown hair."

"Can't say I have," Kurami said. "But maybe we can find him together. I'm looking for someone too. My brother, he got lost here a few days ago and I got stuck here when I tried to find him."

I felt bad she'd lost her brother. "I'm sorry about that," I said. "Let's look for them together. Do you need a weapon?"

"No," she said. "I can take the smaller monsters by myself and usually run from the bigger ones. That's how I'm still alive."

"Well, maybe we can find you something along the way," I said. "We'd better get moving if we want to get out of here."

Kurami and I searched for a door and eventually found one that was still open. We exited the building and what was once the road was now steel grating similar to what was in the shower room. Also, it was pitch black outside and the fog was still thick. I took the flashlight I stole from the store and tried to light the way.

After walking for half an hour and nearly falling off into the abyss a few times, Kurami collapsed in exhaustion. "I can't go on anymore, Kairi," she said. "I've been walking since long before I met you and I haven't slept in three days. I need…I need to rest."

"Yeah, I could use a break too," I said. Kurami started to lie down a few feet away from me, but I crawled over and tapped her on the shoulder. "You don't have to sleep all the way over there. Come on, curl up next to me." I didn't want her to be too far away from me. She was my only company at the time and I didn't want to risk her disappearing too. Kurami and I leaned against a low wall, surrounded by bushes to conceal us from monsters, and she drifted off to sleep in my arms. Her head was resting on my shoulder and it was all I could do to stay awake. I needed to keep watch while she slept, but I eventually gave in to my fatigue.

I was startled awake when Kurami moved. "Oh, I'm sorry, Kairi," she apologized. "I just woke up and was trying to get out of your arms. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's ok," I said. "I've slept more than my fair share, anyway. Let's get moving…if you feel up to it, that is."

Kurami yawned and stretched. "Yeah, I feel better now," she said. We started walking again and I could feel something…something evil. I couldn't quite place it, but I knew it was evil by the presence it gave off.

"Kurami, do you feel that?" I asked. "It feels like we're being watched."

"Yeah, I don't like it," she said. Suddenly, a shadow started to walk toward us in the distance. I couldn't exactly make it out right away, but it was big, had many arms, and a large head. "Oh no, not that thing again!"

"What thing?" I asked. "Have you seen it before?"

"Once," she said. "The other day when I first came here, it tried to kill me. I barely escaped with my life!"

"So, what do you suggest we do? Run?" I asked. She nodded and we took off into an alley, hoping the creature was too large to follow us. After running for about five minutes, Kurami and I decided that maybe the monster had given up. We stopped in a room of a building full of broken mirrors and other garbage. "That was close."

"Yeah," she said as she breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath.

"Oh, my chest," I said, in pain. I grabbed the left side of my chest just above my breast.

"Are you ok, Kairi?" Kurami asked. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," I said. "It's just a little chest pain." Truthfully, it was almost unbearable. I felt like I was having a heart attack. "I eat a lot of greasy food. I have some minor heart problems because of it."

"There's nothing minor about heart problems," Kurami said. "And you're in amazing shape to eat that much junk."

"Great shape? I'm a toothpick," I said. "I'm trying to gain weight because I'm too scrawny. You're the one in good shape."

"You are not a toothpick, Kairi," she said. "You have an amazing body." Kurami started to grin. "But if you want to change yourself, I can help you."

I didn't like the way she was looking at me, but she'd never given me a reason not to trust her. Then again, she never gave me a reason to trust her either. I didn't realize earlier, but I had just taken off with a girl I didn't know and fell asleep next to her. But, if she were someone I couldn't trust, she would have killed me earlier, right? "You can? How?"

"Just close your eyes," she said. I tried to resist, but there was something hypnotic about her eyes. I just couldn't stop myself. "When you open them, you'll have the figure you always wanted."

I closed my eyes as she said and felt something change in me. "Ok, open them," she said. I opened my eyes to see something I'd always longed for in the mirror Kurami was holding.

I no longer appeared as a skeleton in my eyes. My body had become full, lush, and beautiful! I had curves in all the places I'd wanted them, my legs no longer looked like those of a chicken, and my face was more full. I lifted my shirt and saw my toned abdomen, just like I'd always wanted. I was absolutely gorgeous. "Kurami, how did you…?"

"I have my ways," she said. "But I don't do anything for free." She set the mirror against the wall and slowly walked closer to me until she was inches from my face.

"I'll do anything," I blurted. "I can never repay you for this!"

"Kiss me," she said.

"What?" I asked. "I'm straight, and I have a boyfriend!"

"It's not for your pleasure, just mine," she said. "You don't have to be a lesbian, I'm not asking for sex. Just a kiss with those beautiful lips I gave you." It seemed like there was no backing out. And I knew it wouldn't kill me. What Sora didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"Alright, just one," I said. I closed my eyes as Kurami pressed her lips to mine. The feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant, but I still didn't enjoy it much. I was just about to pull away, but Kurami grabbed the back of my head and pulled me closer. She parted my lips and started to inhale. I felt weaker by the second. I was choking for the oxygen she was stealing, but it wasn't just that. I felt like she was draining my very essence. I was kicking and trying to scream, but it was no use. Her grip was like a vice, and I couldn't escape.

She grabbed my hair and slammed me down to the ground—nearly breaking all my bones—when she was finished with me. "That was awesome, beautiful," she said as she transformed into the woman Xion described just before she blacked out. Her eyes were a glowing yellow with cat-like slits for pupils. "But not good enough, so I repossessed my gift to you with interest. Now, you're as you've always seen yourself, but for real this time! Night, gorgeous."

I sat up weakly and crawled to the mirror. I nearly gasped as I saw what could only be me in the mirror. "No!"

I was completely emaciated. My ribs poked through my shirt, my jeans and bra both threatened to fall off, and my cheeks were hollow. My eyes bugged out of their sockets due to no body fat or muscle mass. I knew I would never survive like that. I touched the mirror with my bony hand and breathed heavily. All those years of trying to prevent this, and I was reduced to it in less than a minute after gaining my dream body! "Sora…" I tried to say in a dry, scratchy voice. My hand fell to the ground and so did I. Kurami absorbed all of my much-needed fats and muscle until I was nothing more than a living skeleton covered with dried skin. I was dying, and I was so afraid.

The last thing I ever saw in my life was Sora running toward me and scooping me in his arms. I couldn't hear all of what he was saying, but I could still hear him cry and call my name. I wished so badly to respond, but I was out of time. I died in the arms of my lover…

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><p>Author's Note: I think this is the third time I've had Kairi die either in Sora's arms or around him. And yes, Muscle Dysmorphic Syndrome exists. I researched it because I wanted to know what the opposite of anorexia was. Kairi was never as bad off as she thought she was, but she couldn't help it. It was a constant struggle that ended up killing her in the end. I hope I protrayed it well, and if I got anything wrong, let me know. I'm always open for constructive criticism. It helps me develop as a writer.<p>

Next chapter is Sora, then Xion. Who will survive to the end and defeat Kurami along with their personal demons? That will be revealed eventually. Until next time, friends...


	6. Enter the Void

Author's Note: New chapter after so long lol. Sora fist then Xion. Enjoy

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><p><em><strong>Sora's PoV:<strong>_

"Kairi!" I called. I fought my way through monsters, following the only path that seemed to remain in the town. I ran until I came to a building with the door wide open. I heard a moaning sound inside and charged through the doorway. There, lying on the floor, was a shriveled-up woman with long, red hair I would recognize anywhere. "No, Kairi!"

I knelt down, picked her up, and set her head on my lap carefully. "Kairi, what happened to you? Kairi!" It was no use, all she could do was groan in response. I brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. I realized she was dying. "Please, don't die, Kairi. I love you!" I cried for her, but my tears would do no good to help her.

"So…Sora…" she whispered as she took her last breath. The withered figure I used to know as Kairi died in my arms and left me all alone. I picked her up and carried her body out to a small patch of soil that was still outside. It took a while, but I managed to dig a shallow grave with my bare hands. I placed Kairi in it, kissing her lips one last time and closing her eyes, before forever covering her with the dirt. I knew I could never erase that last image of her, wasted away as she was, from my mind. Kairi had always been so physically fit and beautiful. Due to her incessant exercise, a result of her unfortunate and dangerous eating disorder, she had the most amazing body of any woman I'd ever seen—though her disorder caused her not to see it that way. And she had a heart just as beautiful. To see her like that…something must have gotten to her. That kind of thing doesn't happen to someone naturally in the hour and a half we'd been separated.

After I finished burying Kairi, I took the gun she was using and added it to my arsenal. I had, with me, a backpack full of canned foods, extra ammo, and three pistols including Kairi's. I carried a sawed-off shotgun in my right hand and an assault rifle with a strap was slung over my shoulder. I walked down a new path that had just appeared during my time with Kairi and found myself at a large courtyard. The ground was solid concrete there and there was no sign of monsters. I started to relax when I heard a woman's laugh behind me. "Who's there?" I shouted to the darkness. "Show yourself!"

"My, my, impatient, aren't we?" the woman said as she emerged from the shadows. She looked exactly like what Xion had described to me when I found her. Black hair, gold cat eyes, and a purple shirt.

"You, you're the one who killed Kairi, aren't you?" I said furiously. I charged to her as close as I dared and unloaded the shotgun into her chest. The pellets bounced off of her and she laughed as if it tickled.

"Yes, I killed her. And Namine and Roxas too," she said. "Those three were so much fun! I loved using what they hated most about themselves to my advantage. Such superficial things those three hated about themselves. Roxas couldn't keep sex off his mind, Namine was a lesbian who was self-exiled to the closet, and that gorgeous Kairi…she was the most fun! I told her I'd create her dream body, but all I did was cure her mental illness. She actually believed I made her look that way! I would have had Riku in my list of victims, but that annoying Namine interrupted my meal!" My blood was boiling as she acted like murdering my friends was just a game to her. I shot her again, aiming for her head, but that proved ineffective too. "Idiot, if it didn't work the first time, what made you think it would work again? I am not mortal! As long as I'm one step ahead of you, you'll never win! Just give up and let me eat you, handsome!" She lunged at me and I tried to dodge, but she grabbed my ankle. I kicked her in the face and she released me, but she raked her fingernails on my skin and I bled. I screamed in pain. That shouldn't have hurt so much, but it was like she poured acid on the wound. I looked at my ankle and it looked as bad as it felt. It was much deeper than I assumed and I was bleeding fast. The woman stood over me to finish me off, but she turned her head to face her left. Something distracted her, but I had no idea what it was. She stomped my left leg, breaking it and causing me to scream even louder. "I'll deal with you later. I'll be back, so don't even think about going anywhere." It's not like I could have if I wanted to, though. My leg was completely fractured. The splintered bone stuck out of my skin and the pain took my breath away. She darted through the darkness and left me to bleed all alone. I wished for Kairi to be with me, but I knew that was never going to happen. I watched her die, and I was actually prepared to join her. The cruelty wasn't that she was eventually going to kill me, but that she left me alive. I didn't want to live without Kairi. She and Vanitas were really all that gave my life meaning, but she was dead and I had no idea about my brother. I just couldn't stand to be there alone. I leaned against the wall behind me to be miserable in peace.

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><p><strong><em>Xion's PoV:<em>**

I was all by myself at the intersection of Bloch St. and Bachman Rd. My head was pounding and I could barely see for the thick fog. "Ugh, how long was I out?" I asked myself. I pulled out my phone from my jeans pocket and saw it was about five hours after I'd been separated from the others. I ran my fingers through my short, black hair and staggered to my feet. It was getting dark fast and I needed to find shelter before…she came back for me. The events leading up to the accident replayed in my mind. That…thing stood there in the middle of the road. Vanitas hit her head-on, but she landed right on her feet. Whatever she is, it isn't human.

First thing I needed to do, find Namine and the others. I prayed my sister was alright. I loved her more than anything, but I had the worst feeling in my heart that something had gone wrong. I always held the belief we had some sort of link. Maybe not a psychic/supernatural one, but we had an invisible bond of something. I picked myself up and surveyed my surroundings while there was still daylight. Not seeing much through the fog, I started walking in a random direction. That's when I realized my leg was bleeding. I pulled up the leg of my jeans to look at the gash. It wasn't very deep, certainly not life-threatening, but it still hurt to walk. It must have happened during the accident. I didn't doubt I had other wounds too. I walked as far as I could, but collapsed to me knees after a few feet. I looked up to see a small corner church. I needed a safe place to rest and wait for my wounds to heal, so I stood up and limped inside. It looked like any other church. Rows of pews led up to the pulpit where I giant cross was partially hung behind it. Time had apparently worn away the supports because the cross was hanging crooked. These kind of churches were a familiar sight for me. I couldn't say how many times my parents and grandparents would drag me and Namine to them. Eventually, probably when I was sixteen, I put my foot down and told them they couldn't force me to go anymore. Still, though I hated going to these places when I was a kid, I felt some form of odd comfort in this church. Maybe it was because, for the first time in my life, I actually believed in the supernatural.

I sat down in a seat and decided to check the rest of my body for wounds. I had two cuts on my stomach and the gash in my leg, but I was fine other than that. I sighed out of exhaustion. I just wanted to sleep, but I knew I couldn't. With that woman running around, she could slit my throat in my sleep before I even knew what hit me. I had to pull myself together and find my friends, starting with Vanitas and Namine. As much as I loved everyone else, they were my priority. After finding them, then we would look for Riku, Roxas, Kairi, and Sora.

I started to get up when I heard the doors open violently. I almost panicked until I heard a comforting voice call to me. "Xion," Vanitas screamed from the back of the church.

"Vanitas!" I got up and limped toward him. When I finally reached him, I fell into his arms and kissed him. "Vanitas, I'm so glad you found me!"

"I am to," he said. "Though, I wouldn't have if it weren't for Riku." I looked over Vanitas' shoulder and saw Riku standing there.

"Riku!" I said. I was overjoyed, to say the least. "Now, we just need to find Namine, Roxas, Sora, and Kairi." Vanitas and Riku suddenly got quiet. "What's wrong?" I tilted my head sideways.

"Xion, this is going to be hard for you to hear, but you need to," Riku said. "Namine is dead. She and Roxas were killed by Kurami, the creature you saw before the accident."

My knees gave way and I crashed down to the floor. I curled up and buried my face in my knees. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Namine…my amazing, beautiful sister…

"She saved my life just before she died," Riku continued. "Kurami was going to decapitate me, but she fought her with the last of her strength. I have no idea how Roxas died, but Namine died in my arms. Her blood was drained, but some potion was keeping her alive. She didn't go down without a fight."

"I'm sorry you lost her, Xion," Vanitas said. He picked me up and held me tightly. "If you need some time, Riku and I can keep guard at the door just in case Kurami comes back."

I wiped my eyes and nose on my shirt. "No, we'd better get moving. There's no way any of us could take her on in our condition."

"I actually don't think I can go much further. My leg is broken. I've been using this splint, but it hurts too much to handle. I…" Riku was cut off by the sickening sound of metal cutting through flesh. We looked down to see a sword's blade sticking through his heart. Blood oozed out of the wound and his mouth and I felt like I was going to vomit. "R…run!" Kurami pulled the sword from his chest and kicked him forward into a pool of his own blood.

"Whew, I thought he'd never shut up," she said. She stepped over his body and Vanitas pushed me behind himself protectively. "Oh look, my old toy is playing the hero. How cute! But what happened to that little coward I left? You know I'll just kill you before moving on to doll-face."

"You'll not touch a hair on Xion's head," Vanitas growled. I'd never seen this side of him before. There was some kind of feral rage in his voice. His eyes started to fluctuate from blue to gold, which terrified and amazed me.

"Looks like my little experiments were successful," she said. "You've tapped into the demon inside you, but it's still immature. You have yet to refine your abilities. Given time, you could be a match for me, but now you're just a pest. A little fly I need to swat."

"Back away from her," Vanitas said. His voice took on a deeper, demonic tone.

"What did you do to him!" I said.

"What did I do to him? What didn't I do to him," she said. "I modified his soul to possibly be a physical vessel for myself. I hate existing mostly in the minds of my victims. I want to be flesh and blood." Kurami suddenly started to change forms. She cycled from her normal form to a beautiful woman with long blond hair and blue eyes. She then changed into a tall, humanoid creature with a pyramid-shaped helmet before reverting to her original form. "I'm only real enough to kill you. I can't do anything outside this town. I want to cause more suffering throughout the world!"

"You're sick," I spat.

"Why, thank you," she said. "That's the nicest thing I've heard since I killed your sister. What a lovely girl, she was. Good kisser, too."

"Huh?" I asked.

"You didn't know she was a lesbian, did you? Little slut was just using Roxas' feelings for her to cover her own hide because she was ashamed. He deserved better," she said.

"How dare you speak of my sister like that," I yelled. "Move, Vanitas. I'll take her on myself!"

"No, you'll die if you try to fight her," he said. "Just run and I'll hold her off."

"I'm not about to leave you alone!" I cried. "We just found each other. I don't want to be separated again!"

"Look, I promise I'll find you again," he said. "Please, I love you, Xion."

"I love you too," I said. I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind.

"This is so sweet, I think I'm going to be sick," Kurami said. "Tell you what, I'll kill you both so you don't have to be alone."

"Run, Xion!" Vanitas shoved me backward and tackled Kurami to the ground. I picked myself up and took off past them and out the door of the church. I didn't dare look back. If she had killed Vanitas, I didn't want to see it. Then again, he did seem to have some strange power. I wondered what exactly she did to him to make him that way, and why she didn't kill him like everyone else she came into contact with. I got lost in my thoughts as I ran west. When I could go any further, I turned south, Midwich Elementary School in front of me before I even knew it.

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><p>Author's Note: So, how did you like it? You wouldn't believe how difficult this chapter was to write lol. For most of the time, it was 1 or 2 sentences a day lol. Anyway, next update will probably be Beauty of Darkness. That chapter is already in the works. Then Idk if I'll do Her Scars or Endgame after that. Probably Endgame. Until next time...<p> 


	7. Killing Loneliness

Author's Note: Another ungodly-long wait. So sorry, but I've been quite busy with vacations and work around the house and such. Good news is, I am now finished with three semesters of college lol. Anyway, enjoy. There's only about two more chapters left.

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><p><strong><em>Xion's<em>_ PoV:_**

I collapsed to the ground in front of the school, completely exhausted and my leg hurt even worse. No doubt it was bleeding more, but I didn't have time to check it. I crawled up the stairs and into the building. The door was unlocked, so I had no trouble getting in. I picked myself up on one of the benches and breathed deeply over and over again for probably five minutes. I was out of breath, scared witless, and feeling weak from hunger. I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast that morning and couldn't take it anymore. If I could find the cafeteria, then maybe there would be some canned or dried food that was still good. I didn't count on anything more than some canned beans or snack bars in the vending machines. Silent Hill had been abandoned for decades. All substantial food that wasn't canned had spoiled after everyone cleared out. Did everyone really leave? Or did Kurami kill them? Whatever their fate was, I wasn't about to let it be Vanitas'.

I grit my teeth and walked to the other side of the wall to find a map. I used my phone light to illuminate the map and saw that the cafeteria was a few doors down the hall to my right. It was painful to walk, but I had no choice. I had to eat something or I would die of starvation over the next few days.

Using the map, I navigated through the halls in the dark to the kitchen area of the cafeteria. There was a pantry toward the back. I opened the pantry door and saw a few cans of beans and bottles of water. The cans were bulging and smelled bad, so I didn't even bother. The water bottles were all leaking. The smell was indescribably awful. Rot was all over the room. There was no way I would find anything edible here.

I left the cafeteria, stomach empty and heart full of disappointment, and pressed on through the school. If we could manage to escape soon, I'd be alright. Only if I was here a few more days would I feel the effects of starvation.

When the pain in my leg was too great, I collapsed down to the ground and leaned against the wall. "I'm never going to get out of here!" I whispered. "Oh Namine! Why did you have to die!" The grief for my sister was enough to incapacitate me for a good half hour. I just couldn't move. I sat there, eyes closed with tears streaming from my eyes while my heart shattered. "I feel so alone."

"Don't worry, Xion. You're not alone now," a voice said. I turned my head to see Sora crawling toward me.

"Sora, what are you doing here? And what happened to you?" I asked. "Why are you crawling?"

"My leg is broken," he said through his teeth. I could tell he was in so much pain.

"Where's Kairi?" I asked. "Did you get separated."

"She…she," he started. His eyes started to well up and I knew I wasn't going to like what he was about to say. "She died a few hours ago. This strange…woman murdered her."

That was enough to break me right there. "Kairi…not her too!" I whispered.

"Excuse me?" Sora asked.

"We've also lost Riku, Roxas, and Namine," I said. "And Vanitas…I don't know where he is. After we found each other and Riku, Kurami—the one doing all this—came and killed Riku. Vanitas made me run away and he stayed to fight her. Sora, I wish I'd never suggested we come here."

Sora pulled himself up and hugged me. "I knew Roxas and Namine were dead, but had no idea she got to Riku too. It's not your fault. We all wanted to come here. Don't blame yourself for something we'd been planning for years."

"Some graduation trip this turned out to be," I said. "Sora, if we get out of this alive, I'm never going anywhere again!"

"We will get out alive," he said. "There has to be some escape from this town."

"The roads end at endless drop-offs. There's no way we can get across," I said.

"There's a way," he said. "Remember those stories we heard? Harry and Heather Mason made it out. I thought it was just a bunch of urban legends, but there might have been some truth after all."

"Where do you think we should go first?" I asked.

"There was an old religious order around here years ago," he said. "Maybe there's something in one of their churches."

"I know where one church is, but that's where Vanitas and Kurami were," I said.

"She never stays in one place for very long, it seems," he said. "If Vanitas managed to hold her off for a while, she's probably gone somewhere else by now. What have we got to lose?"

"Nothing," I said. "We've already lost almost everything. Your girlfriend, my sister, our friends…"

"But no more," he said. "We're going to find Vanitas, get out of here, and never look back! I just need you to have faith that we can do this."

"Faith seems to be something I have very little of right now," I said. I crossed my arms and turned away from him.

"Well, we'll just have to use what little you have left," he said.

"How can we even go if you can't walk?" I asked.

"I see a solution over there," he said. He pointed toward the open janitor's closet and there was a wheelchair, probably belonging to some disabled kid, parked in front of it. "Just help me up into that and I'll wheel myself around."

"And if we run into a flight of stairs?" I asked,

"I'll figure that out when we get there," he said. I turned around to him again and he smiled. It was enough to coax a smile out of me, though I really didn't feel like it.

"I hope Vanitas is making her suffer right now!" I said. "For what she did to Namine…" I closed my hands into fists and grit my teeth to hold back my tears. "And for everyone else!"

"What's he going to do to something like that, though?" Sora asked.

"She…did something to him. She said something about using him as a vessel to escape this town," I said as I hauled him into the chair. "He's got some sort of supernatural power now. I saw it in his eyes. I think he can at least hold her off for a while, if not cause some significant pain to her. Anyway, we'd better get you to the church fast." I looked in the pocket on the back of the wheelchair and saw two little bottles. "Huh, wonder what these are?" I picked them up and the label simply read "Health Drink."

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"Health drinks," I said. "But…what do they do?" I read the back of one to see the instructions. It said it was a mild pain reliever that took effect almost immediately. "Sora, drink one of these. They're painkillers."

Sora took the drink I handed him and downed it in one gulp. I drank mine and felt instant relief from the pain in my leg. "I feel better already," Sora said.

"Me too," I said. I dropped my bottle on the floor and proceeded to guide Sora back to the church where Riku died. It would be hard seeing that place again, but I knew I had to find some answers, and that was the best place to look.

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><p><strong><em>Vanitas' PoV:<em>**

I dodged a slash from Kurami's sword and crashed into the back row of seats. After recovering, I tapped into my demon power and ran up the way. I reached the window and did a backflip, coming down fast toward her skull. I plowed her into the ground and ran out the door. I knew she'd chase me, but I didn't care. I had to lead her as far away from wherever Xion, Sora, and Kairi might be as possible.

I darted down the streets as fast as I could. There were monsters all around me and my foot nearly caught in a hole in the pavement. I pressed on, though. Something inside me knew that she was following me and my plan was working. If only I could go a little further.

But what did I really hope to accomplish? If she caught me and killed me, she still might be able to get the others before they escaped. I was only buying time that wasn't even guaranteed. I could only hope for the best.

I eventually found myself at the drop off where the road ended. "Oh great," I muttered. "This is just so freakin' great!" I didn't expect to run into this problem so quickly. I looked around me, searching for the closest building. There was a bar to my left, so I charged into it through the door and hid behind the bar. I knew she was on my tail. It was only a matter of time before she would get to me.

Sure enough, the door opened and I was ready to fight again. I heard footsteps inch ever closer to me. I grabbed a broken shard of a whiskey bottle and prepared to attack. But then something unexpected happened. The footsteps started to get further away and the door opened and closed again. I risked a peek to see no one was in the room with me. I'd outrun her, for now at least.

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><p>Author's Note: Sorry it was so short, but I was out of ideas. lol I couldn't expand it any more. Next chapter is Beauty of Darkness and maybe a few one-shots. Until next time, friends.<p> 


	8. Dark Impetus: Final Chapter

Author's Note: So, after nearly a half year of no updates I finally decide to finish the new chapter. I've been so blocked for this story that I couldn't find the drive to finish it, but now I've managed to do just that. Sorry it's taken so long, but thank you for your patience. Out of all my horror stories, I do believe this to be the weakest. I dabbled in things without really putting too much thought into it and it turned out not as good as my others. But thank you to everyone who supported and enjoyed it anyway. Next time I do anything with Silent Hill, it's going to stick to the games' rules more. When I started this, I'd only seen the movie. Now that I've played the first 3 games, I think I have a better grasp on it. Enjoy...

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><p><em><strong>Xion's<strong> **PoV:**_

I wheeled Sora through the town to the church. It was hard getting his wheelchair up the stairs, but I managed to get him through the door before having to collapse on one of the seats. "Break time," I said, catching my breath. I looked around and saw a bloody patch where Riku had been. "I wonder where Riku's body is?"

"I don't even want to think about it," Sora said darkly. Sora, Riku, and Kairi had been an inseparable trio all our lives. He loved those two more than anything and now, he'd lost both. "It doesn't even seem real!"

"I'm sorry you lost them, Sora," I said. I stood up and walked over to him to pat him on the back. "But wherever they are, they're probably cheering for us to win this fight!"

"Xion, you and Vanitas are all I have left," he said. He was starting to cry, but trying to hold it in.

"Just let it out, Sora," I said as I hugged him tightly. I felt his warm tears soak my shirt and his sobs on my neck. "Just let it out." I shed some tears of my own for the loss of all my friends…my sister. The pain of everything just wouldn't go away.

Sora and I were nearly scared to death when we heard the door fly open. I prepared to defend us until I found it to be Vanitas. "Told you I'd be back," he said weakly. He staggered toward us and fell into my arms. "So tired…from running…so long."

"Take it easy, Vani," I said as I ran my fingers through his spikey hair. He kissed me gently and tried to catch his breath.

"Glad to see you alive, bro," Sora said as he wheeled himself over to us.

"Barely," he said. "Kurami nearly found me, but I hid behind a bar. Look, we can't fight her so we'd best get out of here while we're still alive!"

"But how are we going to do that?" I asked.

Vanitas took a deep breath. "When Kurami had me, she let a little more of herself in me than she thought. I know a way out. It's a tricky way, but it's possible. Maybe not with Sora's wheelchair, but we can carry him."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Sora said. "Lead the way."

Vanitas led us through the back alleys of Silent Hill for what seemed like hours. We dodged monsters, maneuvered Sora's wheelchair over various obstacles, and even had to separate a few times because Sora couldn't go over certain things. Eventually, we made it to a little bit of land, just wide enough to walk on, that extended deep into the fog. "There it is. That connects back to the main road," Vanitas said.

"There's no way Sora's wheelchair can get across that," I said. "There has to be another way."

"Xion, I'm fine," Sora said. "I can crawl across it if I have to."

"If you're sure about this," I said. "Vanitas, you go first."

"Alright," he said. He started to walk across, but we were stopped by a maniacal laughter behind us.

"Leaving so soon?" Kurami cackled from behind. "Don't you all want to play with me a bit more?"

"Xion, get across as fast as you can!" Vanitas yelled to me.

"I'm not leaving without you and Sora!" I protested.

"Take Sora and go!" he demanded.

"No!" I yelled. Tears were streaming from my eyes. "You can't stay here and fight her alone! You'll die!"

"I can handle myself, Xion," Vanitas said, his eyes glowing a deep gold. "Trust me!"

I did as he said and picked Sora up out of his wheelchair bridal-style, surprised I was able to. The adrenaline coursing through my body must have been the reason. With one last glance at Vanitas, who had taken the fight straight to Kurami, I put my foot on the small path. Without looking down more than I had to, I slowly put one foot in front of the other. One false move and we'd both be dead. The sound of teeth gnashing and deep growls unsettled me, but I couldn't look back again. I knew Vanitas was still alive because I heard him shout every curse he knew at Kurami for all she'd done to us.

Once I was nearly halfway across, finally able to see the other side of the road, one of the noises behind me stopped and my heart sank. I didn't have time to turn my head around before something slammed the back of my skull, knocking me off balance and sending me and Sora tumbling into the abyss. I grabbed the ledge out of desperation and felt Sora's hands latch around my ankle. "Sora, don't let go!" I shouted. "I'm going to pull us both up!"

I tried as hard as I could, but lacked the upper-body strength to reach the ledge. "Xion, I'm letting go," Sora shouted from beneath me.

"No!" I screamed. "You're not dying on me, Sora! You can't!" Tears streamed from my eyes and blurring my vision.

"Xion, if I don't we'll both die!" he said. "Pull yourself up and run for the car! Don't look back, just keep running!"

"No!" I protested. But it seemed we wouldn't have a choice in the matter. I could feel my shoe slide off my foot, Sora's hands going along with it. "Sora!"

"Bye Xion," he said as the shoe left my foot completely. I looked down and saw as he tumbled down, being lost in the fog.

"Sora!" I screamed at the top of my lungs until my voice gave out. With the extra weight gone, I could pull myself back onto the ledge, but instead of running like he told me to, I could only wrap my arms and legs around it, crying into the pavement.

After lying there for a minute, I picked myself back up, but instead of running to the main road, I returned to Silent Hill. Vanitas' broken form was right in front of me. He was still breathing, but he was covered in blood. I ran to him, but Kurami appeared in front of me. "Only two left? What a shame," she said, her voice coated in false sadness. She grabbed my left wrist and squeezed hard, grinding every carpal bone to dust and taking my breath away. My eyes widened and I couldn't even scream. I reflexively lowered my head and vomited on the pavement and Kurami's feet. "Did that hurt? I'm sorry. That was supposed to make you pass out, but you're probably too keyed up to faint now. Watching as I slaughtered all the people you love, it must have done something to you; made you harder. If porcupine-head over here dies on me, then you would make a worthy vessel as well."

"Go...to...hell!" I spat through my deep breathes.

"Is that all you can say to me to express your distaste?" she mocked, peaking her eyebrow and chuckling. "'Go to hell' is the best comeback you have?" She twisted my nonexistent wrist once more, earning a dry heave from me as I had already emptied the contents of my stomach, and tossed me to the ground. The agony was unbearable. I landed next to Vanitas, able to see how truly hurt he was. Kurami knelt down next to me, her golden cat eyes focused into mine. "Don't you see, we're already in Hell. This town, the Otherworld, all the monsters you saw, it's all an extension of the inferno. This is just a place for the living to have a taste before we drag them to its depths!"

My heart nearly stopped beating. I knew I was going to die, and it terrified me to think of all the ways Kurami could kill me. I closed my eyes to brace for the inevitable, but her strike never came. I opened them to see Vanitas, standing and his wounds healing, toss Kurami to the ground by her hair. "You can break my body, you can do all kinds of twisted and perverted experiments on me, but as long as I'm alive I'll not let you harm a single hair on her head!" Vanitas pounced on her, slamming her head into the curb repeatedly until he managed to draw blood. He threw her head down once more and stood up. "Xion, that won't stun her for long! We have to get out of here!"

Vanitas didn't have to tell me twice. He picked me up and I managed to find the strength walk by myself. We went straight for the path and crossed it. I could hear Kurami's high-pitched, demonic wail coming ever closer. She was on the path and almost to us. "Leave this to me," he said. Using some kind of chant, his hands were covered in a black, cloudy force and he placed them on the ground. The bridge crumbled to dust and we heard Kurami scream as she fell into the infinite void beneath us. Vanitas and I collapsed onto the ground and curled up next to each other. He kissed my forehead and rubbed my hair back out of my face. "It's over. It's finally over!" He was so weak. I stood up and picked him up.

"Yeah, it is isn't it?" I said, still shaken up but calming down. I noticed his eyes were no longer gold. "Vanitas, your eyes..."

"That used up the last of the power Kurami gave me," he said. "I'm back to normal, hopefully..."

"Vanitas, let's go home," I said, pulling his arm over my shoulder and carrying us back to Sora's Jeep.

"Xion, where's Sora?" he asked as I put him in the passenger's seat.

I choked up. "Vanitas...I'm sorry," I said, crying once more. "He let go of me when Kurami knocked us off the path. He did it so I wouldn't die."

Vanitas' soul was broken, I could tell from the look in his eyes, but he wiped my tears away. "He sacrificed himself to save you...I'll never be as good as he was," he said.

"Vanitas, you're already my world," I said. "Come on, let's get to the hospital to get fixed up." I put the car in drive and turned around, keeping my left wrist on my lap so I wouldn't disturb it. Vanitas and I had finally escaped Silent Hill with our lives.


End file.
